Type bar for accounting machine



4 Jan. 17, 1956 w. A. ANDERsoN 2,730,945

TYPE BAR FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 8. 1953 o INVENTOR WALTER A. ANDEAGON s WMM;

A T TORNEV United States Patent O TYPE BAR FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINE Walter A. Anderson, Trumbull, Conn., assigner to I Jnderwood Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application December 8, 1953, Serial No. 396,902

3 Claims. (Cl. 101-109) This invention relates to accounting or like machines and more particularly to an improved type bar for use in such machines.

Accounting machines are commonly provided with a series of type bars each of which carries a plurality of type. The bars are moved differential distances to bring the individual type thereof to printing position at which time a hammer or series of hammers drives the type against a printing surface. Most of the type bars are provided with digit type for printing amounts but one or more of them generally carries a plurality of symbol type for indicating the nature of the transacation being recorded, as well as a type bearing the year date. If there is only one year date type, it is of course necessary to replace it every year with a type bearing the new date. It is also desirable at times to change certain of the symbol type.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide an improved type bar of the style having individually movable type wherein one or more of the type may conveniently be changed.

It is another object of the invention to provide a type bar having a plurality of individually movable type wherein the entire group of type may be removed from the type bar as a unit to permit replacement of the individual type at a place removed from the machine, whereby the likelihood of dropping a type into the inner mechanism of the machine is eliminated.

lt is a further object of the invention to provide a type bar of the nature referred to above wherein any or all of the individual type may be changed without the use of tools of any sort.

These and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent as the description of a preferred embodiment thereof proceeds.

Referring now to the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevational view of the improved type bar,

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of a portion of the type bar with parts broken away, certain parts being sectioned to illustrate the manner of mounting the type,

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2 but with the type removed and showing the tensioning means for holding the type in normal position,

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of a magazine for holding the type, said magazine being shown removed from the type bar,

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the type holding magazine with same removed from the type bar and showing the type mounted therein,

Figure 6 is a front elevational view of the upper portion of the type bar and illustrating the manner of attaching the type holding magazine,

Figure 7 is a sectional View taken along the line 7--7 of Figure 2, and

Figure 8 is a sectional View taken along the line 8-8 of Figure 2.

The main body of the type bar is designated at 10,

ice

the particular bar illustrated being the kind used in the well known Underwood Sundstrand accounting machine. Secured to the upper end of the main body 10 is a member 11 having a series of squared channels 12 cut therein and opening toward the side of the main body. Elongated slots 13 are provided in the member 11 through the bottoms of the channels 12 and a flange 14 of the member 11 closes one end of said channels. Mounted within each of the channels 12 is a plunger 15 having a tongue 16 extending through the elongated slot 13 and outwardly of the member 11, as best shown in Figures 3 and 7. The plungers 15 are urged to the position shown in Figure 3 by resilient means, herein shown in the form of individual compression springs 17 which bear at one end against the ange 14 and at the other end against the plungers 15. The main body 10 and the member 11 thus form a housing for mounting the resiliently urged plungers 15. As will presently be apparent, the plungers 15 serve to hold the type in their normal positions shown in Figures l and 2.

In accordance with the present invention the type are mounted in a magazine, generally designated at 18, which may readily be attached to or detached from the type bar. As illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 the type carrying magazine comprises `a member 19 having a series of squared channels 2li therein, said channels being closed at one side by means of a cover plate 21 secured to the member 19. The type have llong square shank portions 22 and enlarged heads 23 bearing the type face. The shank portions tit slidably within the channels 20, the enlarged heads preventing the type from moving entirely through said channels. The heads of the type may be provided with any desired symbols or year dates and, with the magazine 18 removed from the type bar, the type may be freely removed from the magazine and replaced by others.

The shank portion of each type is notched at 24 and the member 19 of the type magazine is provided with openings 25 through the bottoms of the channels 20. When the type are positioned in the magazine, the notches 24 are aligned with the openings 25.

A pin 26 is secured in the member 1li near the bottom thereof, said pin being provided with an enlarged head which is spaced outwardly from the member 11 as shown in Figure 6. The lower edge of the member 19 of the type magazine 18 is rounded as indicated at 27 and notched as shown at 28.

When the type magazine is to be secured to the type bar, the notch 28 is irst fitted behind the head of the pin 26 with the upper end of the magazine positioned outwardly from the type bar, as indicated by'chain-dotted lines in Figure 6. The upper end of the magazine is then swung inwardly against the member 11, an opening 29 in the magazine fitting over a pin 30 secured to the member 11. A latch member 31 is pivoted near the upper end of the member 11 and is provided with a flange 32 having a protuberance 33 and with a nger piece 34. With the type magazine lying flat against the side of member 11, the latch is swung into holding position and the protuberance detents in an opening 35 provided in the cover plate 21.

The spacing of the channels 20 in the type magazine is the same as the spacing of the channels 17 which carry the plungers 15 and when the type magazine is in position on the type bar the slots 13 of the member 11 are aligned with the openings 25 of the member 19. If the type are moved into the channels 20 until their enlarged heads are against the edge of the magazine, the tongues 16 of the plungers 15 will pass through the openings 25 and enter into engagement with the notches 24 of the shanks of the type, as shown in Figure 7, when the magazine is swung into position against the member 11. The

Vfor raising the type bar on which a type is to be changed so that the type carrying magazine may be swung outward to disconnect it from the bar. A suitable provision for raising one of the type bars while the others remain lowered is disclosed in the patent to Sundstrand, No.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. For use in Van accounting or like machine, a type bar comprising a main body portion, means on said main body portion providing a housing, a plurality of spring urged devices mounted in`said housing, elongated slots in said housing, means on said devices extending through said slots and outwardly from said housing, a magazine slidably carrying a plurality of type, an opening in said magazine aligned with each of said type and notches in each of said type aligned with said openings, manually u manipulatable means Vconnecting said magazine to said main body portion with the elongated slots in said hous- V Ving aligned with the openings in said magazine and with the notches in said type, and the means on said devices extending throughthe openings in said magazine and engaged with the notches in said type.

able plungers mounted' for limited movement in said zine having a series of type slidably mounted therein,

aligned openings in said type and said magazine, said openings in said magazine being vertically spaced to coincide with the slots in said housing, and means detachably connecting said magazine to said housing in such manner that the tongues of said plungers are engaged within the openings in said type.

3. For use in an accounting or like machine, a type bar comprising a main body portion, means on said body portion providing a housing, a set of individually movable plungers mounted for limited movement in said housing, spring means in said housing urging said plungers to one of their limits of movement, a series of vertically spaced slots in said housing, said slots being aligned with said plungers, a magazine having a series of type slidably mounted therein, a series of openings in said magazine aligned with said type, said openings in said magazine being vertically spaced to coincide with the slots in said housing, means detachably connecting said magazine to said housing inA such manner that the openings in said magazine are aligned with the slots in'said housing, and

said plungers and said type having cooperating 4Vmeans which lit together when said magazine is connected to said housing.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,118,998 Authier Dec. 1, 1914 1,121,721 Dysart Dec. 22, 1914 1,334,758 Horton Mar. 23, 1920 1,396,938 Lutz Nov. 15, 1921 1,455,555 Sundstrand May 1S, 1923 1,548,934 kPasinski Aug. 11, 1925 1,780,674 Ewald Nov. 4, 1930 V1,853,211 Hoffmann Apr. 12, 1932 1,978,898 Ford Oct. 30, 1934 2,606,491 Wockenfuss Aug. 12, 195,2 2,619,900 Stuivenberg Dec. 2, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 450,249 Germany Oct. 4, 192:7

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